Heisman watch: Famous Jameis moves into the lead

RGJ sportswriter Dan Hinxman is a Heisman Trophy voter. Here are his top five after week 11, with last week’s ranking in parentheses (Dropped out: None):

5. Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor (5): The knock on Petty was that he and the No. 6 Bears hadn’t played anybody. And now they’re coming off a 41-12 victory over No. 10 Oklahoma. Petty had a hand in all five Baylor touchdowns, throwing for three (with no picks) and rushing for two. Was just 13-for-26 for 204 yards, though.

4. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M (3): Manziel continues to put up big numbers, and he’s top two or three on most voters’ ballots, if other watch lists are any indication, but he had three interceptions last week, giving him six in the last four games. Flashy is fun to watch, but steady wins the race.

3. A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama (4): McCarron isn’t flashy nor is he the dual-threat guy that everybody loves these days, but he is doing everything right for the No. 1 Crimson Tide. In his last five games, including a 38-17 win over LSU on Saturday, he has 13 TD passes and no picks.

2. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon (1): The rapid-fire Ducks offense looked downright average in a 26-20 loss Saturday to Stanford that likely knocked Oregon out of the national championship picture. Mariota had respectable numbers, but Oregon didn’t score until the fourth quarter.

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, right, signs autographs for fans in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of the Seminoles' game against North Carolina State, Saturday on Oct. 26 in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State won 49-17. (Phil Sears/AP)

1. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State (2): Winston moves into the top spot, although he played just a little more than a half as the Seminoles’ defense dominated Wake Forest in a 59-3 win (led 42-0 at the half). The redshirt freshman has been dazzling and consistent all season.

About this blog

Longtime RGJ Media reporter Dan Hinxman is the authority on Wolf Pack athletics, bringing you the day-to-day coverage of Nevada’s sports teams. Dan has covered almost everything the Northern Nevada sports scene has to offer and will use his knowledge to bring you authoritative and engaging Wolf Pack content. Follow him on Twitter at @DanHinxmanRGJ.